Chemical Sales: Documentation in the Chemical Industry

Selling chemicals is a highly regulated activity and it’s not without its risks. We minimise risks by only selling to established businesses, but we still need to provide the appropriate documentation with chemical sales.

Some pieces of documentation are a legal requirement and are guaranteed when you purchase materials of a certain nature. Others are optional and you may need to request them.

To simplify things, we’ve collected a list of the documentation we deal with at ReAgent to help you further understand what’s available.

Our paperwork is completed using GMP and we ensure it is Consistent, Controlled, Accurate, Reconcilable and Traceable.

Material Safety Data Sheets

Category:

Regulated materials and on-request

Description:

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are required by law for products that meet the criteria set by HSE. However, if a customer would like an MSDS for products that are not classified as dangerous, they can request one and we will provide this.

The documents include details about the chemical including hazardous information and first-aid measures, so anyone handling the chemical can be familiar with the health and safety requirements.

Availability:

MSDS are provided on our website for most products. They can be found attached to the appropriate product pages. You can see an example of an MSDS for Sodium Hypochlorite.

We will usually send you an MSDS along with your order confirmation email. However, it is the responsibility of the customer to request or download MSDS on any products purchased online.

Certificate of Analysis

Category:

Regulated materials and on-request

Description:

A Certificate of Analysis (C of A) is a document to confirm that a product meets the correct quality standards. It is provided to the customer after the sale of a product that has undergone chemical analysis, and contains results from the analysis as well as information about the chemical composition of the sold material.

Availability:

A C of A is a standard requirement to fulfilling orders of a particular specification, but should also be available at any time upon request. LRG and AR grade materials come with a C of A as standard.

This part of the chemical documentation has to be issued by Quality Assurance to confirm a regulated product meets its specification.

Certificate of Conformity

Category:

Compulsory for most new materials

Description:

A Certificate of Conformity (C of C) is issued to demonstrate that a product has been manufactured in accordance with a rigorous quality system. It includes the name and address of the organisation taking responsibility for the product and it must now be provided for most new products.

Availability:

A Certificate of Conformity (C of C) is issued to demonstrate that a product has been manufactured in accordance with a rigorous quality system. It includes the name and address of the organisation taking responsibility for the product and it must now be provided for most new products.

Declaration form

Category:

Highly toxic materials

Description:

Some chemicals are restricted by the Home Office or for commercial use only. If you’re attempting to purchase these chemicals from ReAgent, you may be asked to complete a declaration form to declare your use of the product before the transaction can be authorised.

If ReAgent has any reason to suspect a customer may be using our products for illicit purposes, we will inform the relevant authority.

Availability:

The restricted chemicals will be indicated on our website. When browsing or attempting to purchase these chemicals, you will be informed whether you are required to fill out a declaration form or contact the Home Office.

Supplier Approval Form

Category:

Optional

Description:

This is a form sent by a buyer to a supplier to ensure that buyer meets certain specifications. It is intended to find out whether the supplier has certain certifications and accreditations, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

This is a way for buyers to evaluate suppliers to make sure they’re purchasing from reputable companies that meet the demands they would like.

Availability:

If you would like ReAgent to complete a supplier approval form, please email the form to us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Non-disclosure Agreement

Category:

Optional

Description:

Customers are able to request that we sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect your intellectual property and confirm that we will keep all of your formulas, specifications and other information safe. The agreement is useful for products that we manufacture to exact specifications.

Customers often provide us with their own chemical formula and we blend to their own requirements. We can protect this as well as any formulas we blend in-house that are unique to a customer and needs to be kept private.

Availability:

Non-disclosure agreements are available upon request. Please let us know if you would like us to sign one.

We add to the types of documentation we offer as we go along, whenever we are presented with new requests from customers. We do our best to accommodate your business’ requirements and may be able to offer a new type of documentation upon request.

Posted by: Amy Hawthorne

After graduating from Lancaster University in 2013, Amy joined ReAgent in early 2014 as a Marketing Assistant. She is responsible for creating regular blogs and managing ReAgent's social media accounts, as well as producing video content as part of our online marketing plan. Read more posts by Amy »